Dumbledore's Mistakes
by Healer Pomfrey
Summary: Dumbledore made several grave mistakes concerning Harry Potter. What if he for once had to face grave consequences? Set on the 1st and 2nd September of Harry's supposed to be first Hogwarts year. Completely AU.


**Dumbledore's Mistakes****  
by Healer Pomfrey**

_All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story.  
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes._

* * *

'_At least I still have time. The Hogwarts Express only leaves in three and a half hours_,' Harry thought as he began to search King's Cross for platform nine and three quarters, not noticing that several hundreds of other students were running through a wall between platforms nine and ten. He thoroughly searched the crowded station, not daring to ask anyone else where the Hogwarts Express might leave. Eleven o'clock came and passed, while Harry was still roaming the station. '_Oh no, the Hogwarts Express must just have left, if it leaves from this place at all_,' he thought, horrified. '_What am I going to do now? I don't know where Hogwarts is located. How am I supposed to get there?_' He looked at Hedwig. "Do you have an idea, Hedwig?"

The snowy white owl merely fluffed her feathers and turned her head backwards to sleep. '_Maybe I should try to find Diagon Alley. Only wizards and witches can get into there, and I could ask anyone how to get to Hogwarts_,' Harry thought and slowly made his way out of the station, carrying his luggage in his left hand and the owl cage in the other hand.

Unfortunately, the only way, which Harry knew, was that between the Dursleys' house and his primary school. Apart from going to school and helping Aunt Petunia in the house, he had always been locked in his cupboard and never been anywhere else, especially not on his own. Therefore, the streets of London all seemed very large, noisy and smelly to him, and he could not recall where Hagrid and he had been walking a month ago. '_I think we came from that direction, but I'm not sure_,' he mused as he turned away from the huge main street into a smaller road.

However, after two hours of walking, Harry still had not found the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, nor did he know how to possibly return to the station. He let himself sink onto the pavement to thoroughly ponder the matter, when his eyes fell on Hedwig, and suddenly an idea crossed his mind.

"Hedwig, could you take a letter to Hogwarts for me?" he asked and, when the snowy, white owl let out a few soothing sounds, he opened his luggage, taking out a parchment and a quill, and set to work.

'_Dear Professor Dumbledore_,' he wrote.  
'_I am sorry to bother you, sir, but I missed the Hogwarts Express, because I could not find platform nine and three quarters. I am now trying to find the Leaky Cauldron, but I am not sure where it is. I am sitting next to a red telephone booth, but unfortunately, I don't know how to operate it. Therefore, I cannot call you. And there is a church on the opposite side of the street. Could you perhaps give me an advice? Thank you, sir, and I am sorry to be such a burden.  
Yours sincerely Harry Potter_.'

He fastened the letter to Hedwig's leg like Hagrid had taught him and felt strangely relieved when the owl took off into the air immediately.

Leaning his back against the telephone booth, Harry waited for Hedwig to return and eventually drifted off to sleep. By the time he woke up, it was already beginning to get dark, and he realised in shock that the people, who were hurrying up and down the street, looked at him strangely. '_I wonder how long it will take Hedwig to return. Oh, and maybe I should have told Professor Dumbledore the name of the church_,' he suddenly realised. '_London is so big; there might be more than one church and telephone booth_.' He scrambled up from where he was sitting, grabbing his luggage and the empty owl cage and stepped onto the street, jumping back in fright, when huge, yellow lights appeared in front of him.

_At Hogwarts~_

"Harry Potter," Professor McGonagall called out, impatiently letting her eyes wander over the group of first years, who were waiting to become sorted into their Houses. Turning to the Head table, she said in confusion, "Harry Potter seems not to be here."

"Apparently not," the Headmaster replied, thoughtfully stroking his long, white beard. "Please continue with the Sorting, Minerva. We'll check about Harry's whereabouts after the Welcoming Feast."

The meal was nearly over, when a snowy white owl graciously swept into the Great Hall and landed on the Head table. Seeing that his colleagues looked at him in expectation, Dumbledore read Harry's letter aloud for everyone at the Head table to hear.

"That happens if you send a half-wit to teach a boy, who knows nothing about the magical world, everything that he needs to know in order to come to Hogwarts instead of looking after the child yourself," Professor Snape voiced, rolling his eyes at the older wizard.

"My mistake," Dumbledore admitted, smiling, and placed a second helping of lemon meringue on his plate. "May I ask you, Severus..."

"No," Snape replied firmly. "Apart from the fact that he is the offspring of Potter, the dunderhead is most likely going to be a Gryffindor, so that Minerva will be much more adequate to fetch him."

The Headmaster rose from his seat. "I'd send Fawkes, if it wouldn't be just after his burning day. It will take a few weeks, before he'll be able to fly let alone flash. I'll write a note for Harry and attach a tracking spell, so that I'll be able to apparate straight to him as soon as he receives the letter. As soon as I have news, I'll call you to my office, so that we can have him sorted together." With that the Headmaster dismissed the students and left the Great Hall.

_Hogwarts Dungeons~_

Severus sighed in relief as he returned from his first House meeting in the Slytherin common room and finally found time for a cup of tea in his favourite armchair by the fireplace. '_It is fairly cold tonight_,' he thought, pointing his wand at the fireplace. '_I hope they'll find Lily's boy soon. It wouldn't do him any good to spend the night outside, and if he doesn't even know how to use a Muggle telephone, he won't be able to check into a hotel either_.' His thoughts wandered back to his childhood, together with Lily, who had been his best friend since they had been three years old, and her sister, who had begun to detest Lily and him as soon as she realised that they were magical and were able to do things which she couldn't.

However, it was five o'clock in the morning, when the Headmaster finally contacted the Potions Master. "Severus, are you already up and about?" he queried as he stepped out of the fireplace, sounding much too alert for the Potions Master's liking.

"I am... now," Severus replied, trying to keep his voice void of the annoyance that he felt upon the early morning call.

"Harry's owl just returned," the Headmaster continued, sighing. "However, my letter to Harry is still attached. Apparently, she is unable to find Harry."

'_Why might that be?_' Severus wondered, quirking an eyebrow at the old wizard in silent question.

"I have no idea, where he is and why his owl cannot reach him," Dumbledore continued. "Would it be possible that he fell into the hands of Voldemort's followers?"

Severus looked at his old mentor in surprise, before he said pensively, "I doubt that, Albus."

"Severus, I am at a loss. I don't know what to do other than to wait and see if Harry contacts us again or if his owl will be able to find him this time. I just sent her out once again."

_~The Great Hall~_

A few hours later, dozens of owls swept into the Great Hall to deliver letters and parcels as well as the Daily Prophet. No one even had to open the newspaper to get a glimpse at the top news, since the main headline screamed in red ink, '_The British Magical World Revealed to the Muggles'_.

Dumbledore and his colleagues looked at the newspaper in shock. While the students' tables were filled with whispering and laughter, the Head table remained absolutely silent as the teachers engrossed themselves reading the article following the headline.

'_Last night, the renowned Muggle newspaper The Times reported about a traffic accident, in which an unknown boy was nearly killed. In order to identify the boy, his luggage was opened by the Metropolitan police, who discovered that he was carrying a Hogwarts invitation letter as well as the school books and other Hogwarts students' usual equipment. The British Prime Minister is now involved in the matter. According to the Muggle press, the identity of the boy, who is said to be in a critical condition, will be kept a secret, while the investigations about the magical world continue. We advise all wizards and witches to keep quiet and watch for the time being and not attract unnecessary attention, for example by wearing wizarding attire in the Muggle world. We will keep you informed, if necessary by special editions of the Daily Prophet_.'

"Harry," Dumbledore said tonelessly, unobtrusively wiping a tear from his cheek, while his colleagues looked at him in shock. "It is all my fault." He remained quiet for an instant, before he continued, "Please keep Harry's identity to yourselves for the time being. I'll check the Muggle hospitals and try to find him."

"Albus, I believe that you should officially take the responsibility and retire from all positions, before the Ministry of Magic begins with their own investigations," Professor Flitwick said firmly. "Otherwise, you might end up in Azkaban..."

"For acting against my own regulations, I know," Dumbledore interrupted him, sighing.

"And for neglecting the Boy Who Lived," Snape added quietly.

"Minerva, are you willing to become my successor?" Dumbledore queried, looking pleadingly at his Deputy.

"No Albus," McGonagall replied slowly. "I will remain the Deputy Headmistress. I believe that it would be the best for all of us if Severus became the Headmaster. He has been a spy for many years, and he would be much better able to handle situations that involve third parties like Muggle institutions."

"I fully agree," Flitwick said, eagerly nodding his head.

"I agree," Pomona Sprout echoed.

"Very well then, I need the four Heads to come to my office to make this official," Dumbledore said and rose from his seat.

"Poppy, will you please join us," Snape said in his soft, baritone voice. "We will surely need your expertise when we go and collect Mr. Potter." He stood as well and spoke to the students. "Due to unexpected circumstances, today's classes are cancelled. You will read the first chapter in each of your new school books and write a summary, due tomorrow morning."

With that the four Heads of the Houses and Madam Pomfrey followed the soon to be Ex-Headmaster out of the Great Hall, and ten minutes later, Severus Snape was the official Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Albus, what are you going to do now?" McGonagall asked, observing how the official parchment rolled up and vanished into thin air on its way to the Ministry of Magic.

Dumbledore thoughtfully stroked his beard. "This was a bit unexpected," he said slowly.

"Albus," the new Headmaster spoke up. "You only have two choices. One would be to hide abroad, far from the reach of the Ministry, the other to remain incognito at Hogwarts." He raised an eyebrow at his old mentor in silent question.

"Will you allow me to stay at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked, absentmindedly playing with a lemon drop, which he forgot to put into his mouth.

"Of course. You may continue to live in your personal quarters. I prefer my own quarters here in the dungeons anyway," Snape replied, glancing up in surprise when Baby Fawkes jumped from the small nest on his perch onto his shoulder.

#May I bond wif you?# he trilled in a soft, child's voice.

"You may, but I thought you were bonded with Albus. I am surprised that I'm able to understand you all of a sudden," he said, startled.

Dumbledore let out a long sigh. "Apparently, Fawkes does not deem me a good person because of what I did to Harry, and he chose you over me. He will be a good familiar."

"Very well then. Thank you, Fawkes," Snape replied in a soft voice, gently petting the phoenix baby's head.

"Now, what are we going to do about Harry?" McGonagall interrupted the silence that spread while everyone watched the interaction between the new Headmaster and his phoenix in awe.

"Severus, please take Harry in. You'll be a wonderful father to him," Dumbledore said gently, finally popping the lemon drop into his mouth.

"No," Snape replied shortly in a slightly upset voice. "I am the Headmaster, Head of Slytherin, Potions professor and Potions Master. What else do you want me to do? I will go and fetch the boy together with Poppy, provided that he is still alive at all. However, I'd like to ask Poppy or Minerva to become his guardian."

"I'd love to become his guardian, Severus, and I will assist you to find an adequate Potions professor," Minerva said warmly.

"And I will discreetly help with your office work, so that you can remain the Potions Master," Dumbledore threw in, causing Snape to slightly incline his head, expressing his gratitude.

"Do you have an idea where to find Mr. Potter?" Sprout asked, smiling at the sight of the Potions Master with the tiny, naked phoenix on his shoulder.

"The hospital was named further in the text," McGonagall informed her colleagues, pulling her copy of the Daily Prophet out of her robe pocket.

"Very well then, let's go," Snape said to the Mediwitch. "Minerva, please contact the Minister of Magic and ask him to come over for a meeting this afternoon. We need to discuss how to proceed with the Muggle government." He carefully sat Fawkes onto his perch. "I have to go for an errand, but I'll be back shortly," he informed his familiar and left the office together with Pomfrey.

_~The Hogwarts grounds~_

"Thank you Severus, for allowing Albus to remain at Hogwarts," Pomfrey said in a soft voice, lightly squeezing the Potions Master's right arm. "He made many mistakes, but he is not a bad person. He did not mean to harm Harry."

"I know that Poppy, I know," Snape replied, sighing as memories of his own, miserable childhood crossed his mind. "Let's hope that Potter will be all right. First of all, we need to get him to Hogwarts. Due to its ancient wards that make it undetectable for Muggles, it might be the only safe place for magical people within Britain in the future."

'_Severus has changed_,' Poppy thought. '_It was a wonderful idea that Minerva insisted for him to become the Headmaster. He feels honoured but it will do him good to have the responsibility over the school and the students. If Harry is still alive, he will find a good ally in Severus. They seem to have similar experiences. And with Minerva as his guardian, the boy will be in good hands_.'

**The End  
**

_Thank you all so much for your overwhelming reviews for my recent oneshot "Hagrid's Mistake Teachers' Bet and Harry's Benefit". They inspired me to write this oneshot. In fact, since someone told me the end was predictable, I intended to write something really not predictable and make Harry not survive his accident, but I just couldn't bring myself to actually write such a sad story. Well, I hope you still enjoyed it. _**  
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